I found this spot on Yelp while driving to San Pedro for some fresh seafood. I wasn't expecting to find anything worth trying out but decided to browse anyway. After looking over some photos, I was immediately drawn to this spot. My initial thought was, this is my kind of place! The fact that it sits down by the boat docks, and the fact that I love the whole nautical scene made it the obvious choice. ...now, I can't comment on the entire menu cause this was my first time here but, I will say the "clam chowder" alone is enough to bring me back again and, again. Tall beer mugs, great music in the back ground, friendly waitress (Yolanda) were all a big plus!! read more

The Chowder Barge - An outside posting I found interesting. - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

Very casual place, the lunch crowd was mostly San Pedro port workers. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it is a restaurant and all there acted like gentlemen. Safe environment. Note for the women planning on coming, don't wear heels. You're on a dock so the boards are spaced out which may cause you to get caught. I don't think they have air conditioning as all the windows were open. But all are covered with screens preventing bugs from coming in. There's also netting over the front door so expect that when you open it. We ordered the double clam chowder which comes with fried oysters on top. For me, I would have preferred it without the oysters. Too many flavors for my clam chowder. Both items were good but I'd prefer them separately. Good clam chowder, creamy without too many potatoes. We also ordered the fish wrap and the shrimp salad. The shrimp salad didn't have as many shrimp as some of the pictures here on Yelp but it was tasty. The fish wrap was very good and extremely filling. The onion rings were done perfectly. Worth a shot for a casual lunch or dinner, down by the boats. Enjoy! read more

The Chowder Barge - Their famous chowder in many different formats. - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

My husband and I ate at the restaurant around 2 o'clock on Sunday, March 24. The restaurant was busy and we had to wait outside in the rain and wind to get seated. We waited about 30 minutes and were seated. When we walked into the restaurant, there was about three empty tables, and we were told the kitchen was behind and it would be a while before we were served, but they wanted to get us in out of the cold. We ordered clam chowder, grilled salmon sandwich with a salad, calamari and garlic cheese bread. When the waitress brought the garlic cheese bread, it had no cheese on it. She said oh sorry I brought somebody else's order as soon as yours is ready I will bring it. I was brought my side salad with the wrong salad dressing, when my salmon sandwich came It didn't quite look like salmon. I didn't eat it because my husband hadn't received his food yet. The waitress came over and said what kind of sandwich do you have? I said I ordered a salmon sandwich. She picked up the sandwich and took it away and said this is not yours. About 20 minutes later, she brought me an overly cooked salmon sandwich. We did eventually get the correct bread. The calamari was extremely chewy and fishy. My husband did say the clam chowder was very good, but there wasn't very much of it. He ordered a bread bowl and not very much of the bread was cleaned out of the middle of the bread bowl. we were brought the Bill and put $100 bill on it and the waitress took the . She came back about 10 minutes later and said she didn't add everything onto our bill and she gave us a second bill for an additional $50. If it wasn't for our waitress, completely messing up everything that I ordered, I may not be giving this restaurant one star. The food was mediocre and deserves a two or three star. Needless to say we will not be back. read more

Chowder Barge is kinda a local/trucker's secret. It is a sea food restaurant on a boat in Wilmington's ghost town. The seafood taste fresh, the chowder is thick and the staff is super friendly. Get the fisherman's platter, chowder of fish and chips. The cocktail sauce is amazing! It has a little kick to it which makes a huge difference in flavor. read more

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The food has improved over the last few years but the service is absolutely lame. The warm varnished wood décor is not enough to overcome the lacedaisical service. Their service reflects the shotty Marina. read more

We stopped here for hubby's birthday lunch and was an ideal place as he loves boats and chowder. Of course he chose the special, which was something we'd never heard of. It's a cheeseburger in a bowl of clam chowder topped with fried clams!! He loved it! I wanted a lighter meal, so went with a house salad and a side of fried clams. Not like Boston clams, but not bad. read more

The Chowder Barge - Double chowder burger - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

Very hidden spot. The food is great and not an over crowded enviornment. The employees here are very friendly. Great great stuff. I recommended the double chowder burger. read more

I'm so glad we tried this place! This water cafe is right over the marina and has a charm that makes you hungry and happy. We had the fish and chips and shrimp plate. The service was friendly and attentive we left California for Arizona but we are sure glad we went here the day before we left! Do yourself a favor and try this place ASSP! We sat by two ladies who were regulars possibly and their salads looked amazing! Try the menu! read more

Welp I'm a First timer! A friend had recommended this place a couple of years ago and today I fInally decided to try it. I was absolutely not disappointed. From the moment I walked up I was greeted, welcomed and seated. The gentleman that helped me was very nice. I ordered what everyone has raved about on here, the Double Chowder Burger. It wasn't a double patty as I had assumed, what's different from this and the regular Chowder burger is the addition of fried clams. The chowder was delicious. Like ABSOLUTELY delicious. The burger was very tasty and the brioche bun added the delight of scraping the left over chowder. I ordered a beer- captain size and my response when he brought it was "holy sh**, I should've asked about sizes first," the server laughed and offered to help finish it, appreciate the humor. Bottom line, I will be back, I will be bringing people with me to enjoy this place just as much as I did. The location is fun, it's in the middle of nowhere in Wilmington- in the port, of a small harbor, trains and people at work. It was a nice sight. The joint got busy, quickly. I most certainly recommend. read more

The Chowder Barge - Double Chowder Burger with Captain size Modelo - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

The wait staff is most awesome Especially Kari and Nina The food is terrific Fun atmosphere Great view! Highly recommend it‼ It is definitely not to be missed The staff is most awesome Especially Kari and Nina The food is terrific Fun atmosphere Great view! Highly recommend it‼ It is definitely not to be missed The wait staff is most awesome Especially Kari and Nina The food is terrific Fun atmosphere Great view! Highly recommend it‼ It is definitely not to be missed The staff is most awesome Especially Kari and Nina The food is terrific Fun atmosphere Great view! Highly recommend it‼ It is definitely not to be missed The wait staff is most awesome Especially Kari and Nina The food is terrific Fun atmosphere Great view! Highly recommend it‼ It is definitely not to be missed The staff is most awesome Especially Kari and Nina The food is terrific Fun atmosphere Great view! Highly recommend it‼ It is definitely not to be missed The wait staff is most awesome Especially Kari and Nina The food is terrific Fun atmosphere Great view! Highly recommend it‼ It is definitely not to be missed The staff is most awesome Especially Kari and Nina The food is terrific Fun atmosphere Great view! Highly recommend it‼ It is definitely not to be missed read more

Worth the drive I love the food & atmosphere , Make sure to ask if Laura is working the kids will love her. The claim chowder is really good. read more

Eh. Don't know what the hype is. I've had better. Waiter was very nice and attentive, even though he took forever for some fucking fries... read more

Ok. So as I drove to the restaurant I wondered what type of place is near the trains,oil, recycling plants and a slew of shoddy sailboats. The answer, a great place. If you love dive bars/cafes this is it. Authentically nautical and whimsical. Double chowda w fried clams is it. Put it in a bread bowl for maximum deliciousness. Great Bloody Mary The only problem was very slow service. It was Father's Day, so maybe that was the issue. But I just watched the sailboats and trains while chatting w my girls. Not really a problem. I don't know if the breakfast food is good but the lunch food is and a good deal. Surprise a friend and take them to the barge and enjoy the look on their faces as they think you're not gonna take them to lunch but kill them and dump the body in an industrial neighborhood. Fun times. read more

Bad service, Bad Food and filthy restrooms. Room temperature Chowder, dry burger and grease soaked onion rings.

Came here with some girlfriends for seafood. The service was pretty terrible. We noticed there seemed to be a few regulars who were getting good service so maybe they don't need any new customers. The food was just okay. The clam chowder tasted like cream of bacon soup. read more

Amazing clam chowder my son had meatloaf sandwich and fried calamari appetizer it was all delicious

Came here based on all the yelp reviews. Weren't expecting anything fancy and it is a cute dive bar type of place. Plenty of parking but downhill from there. Stood at the entrance for five minutes while the seemingly only waitress rang up checks and served drinks to table without acknowledging us. Finally she said go ahead and find a table but I'm not sure they've been wiped down. We found a clean table and the sat there for 20 minutes while she walked past 4 or 6 times without even bring us a menu. When we finally ordered the food came out in a reasonable amount of time. We asked for water but never got it. Food was ok but nothing special. No one ever came by to see if we needed anything. We finally flagged down another employee and got out check. When we paid they said "I hope the food made up for the terrible service". No it didn't. We try to support small local businesses but we won't be back here. Too bad we had high hopes. read more

Excellent chowder and fish and chips. The chowder was hearty (I got double chowder with the fried clams). The fried clams stayed crispy the entire time it toOk to eat the chowder. Flavor is rich and buttery. The bread bowl was yummy too, toasted perfectly. The fish and chips was crispy on the outside and flaky inside. I prefer malt vinegar but you can have tartar sauce too. The cole slaw is sweet and crunchy. Just separate it from the fries quickly as the thin plastic ramekin gets warm easily. We found this place while searching for "chowder" on Yelp. We had some difficulty finding it but called and were given some helpful hints. Just make sure you walk into the dock, this place is on the water. Service was great. Helpful but not disruptive. read more

Hailey started off our moment at the chowder barge right and kept up the great service the entire time. She was an amazing server! This was our first time at the chowder barge and I have to say that we will certainly be back! Here is what we had that was very tasty: - Fish & Chips: good batter, not too greasy. Home made tarter sauce! - Fried clams & shrimp - very good. - Clam chowder in sourdough bread bowl - creamy, lots of clams. Really great flavor and the bread was super good. Slightly crispy on the outside and super soft on the inside. Pitchers are the way to go if you're going to have a beer or two. I need to go back soon. I cannot remember the name of the dish but they serve a bowl of chowder with a cheeseburger floating in it! Oh yeah! read more

Not an everyday place to visit but soo amazing! It is a bit off the beaten path and nostalgic in the sense of an old ship house selling great fresh seafood. Loved the great atmosphere and view from any of the windows. Great place to visit and have amazing food. Had the clam chowder which was creamy fresh and tasty. The tuna salad sandwich was amazing! Crispy buttery sourdough and just the right amount of tuna. Not too much where it overflowed every time I took a bite. Totally ate up my lunch including the amazing onion rings. If you are in the area this is a definite stop with good food and great people. read more

The Chowder Barge - Tuna melt with onion rings.. - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

I had a bowl of New England Clam Chowder and Fish & Chips to go. The indoor seating area is closed, but outdoor dining is open. Since my order was to go, they were supper kind in preparing my bag with a wedge of lemon, malt vinegar, tartar sauce, crackers and utensils. I cannot wait to go back there for a glass of chilled white wine!! read more

They said they had the best chowder ever... they lied. #sodiumbowl The double chowder didn't have double chowder. Calamari was fried to extinction. They forgot to hand us our beverages. Service was meeeehhhh. Only upside, their garlic bread was decent. read more

Not your typical restaurant especially close to a very busy 710 freeway and the port. This was my 2nd time going here and they used an old boat and turned it into a breakfast and lunch restaurant. The inside is just so unique and it makes you feel at home. The boat is surrounded by other personal boats and it also has a nice view of the water. At first it felt like this very dinky boat walking up the ramp, but then as soon as you get inside,it has a lot of cool trinkets/decor and original designs of when it used to be just a normal boat. It also consists of a bar and there's adequate seating inside and outside. Breakfast is mediocre,but damn good and service is excellent. It's a great way to take friends to and when you want to impress them. Will definitely be going back and this time will bring friends from out of town. read more

The Chowder Barge - You see the sign as you walk in. - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

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The chowder cup for 5.95 was very good . We did not get a napkin when served oIr chowder. We split a fish and chip when brought to our table we had to ask for silverware ?? The fish was more batter than fish ? we never sAw our waitress after food was brought ? Will mevee come bAck and will tell all my friends to avoid ! read more

Great food and really unique location. Awesome! Loved the tuna melt and of course the chowder. read more

Awesome place to get a cheap meal that is made to order. Laura was our waiter and helped give some awesome advice on what to order since we are first timers. We will definitely be back with friends. The atmosphere here is totally cool and nautical. read more

The Chowder Barge - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

I visit this place today, I order the bread clam chowder bowl soup. Soup was cold, I order a tropical ice tea, literally I got water and sugar. The service is awful. Waitress toss the menus and straws on the table. I got stomachache from food. Never again will eat there and will not recommend it. read more

First time here today. It had a rustic ambience, but I liked it. I ordered the Clam Chowder (no surprise there as this is what they are famous for). I opted for the bowl. It was delicious - lots of clams, not too much potatoes and plenty of bacon. We also ordered the garlic bread, which I can pass on. Not much garlic flavor going on there. Hubby ordered The Fisherman's Platter. Fries, fried cod, shrimp and clams. I tried the clams and liked it. Very flavorful and crispy. I enjoyed this and would most likely go back if near the area. read more

This place was such a novelty. Was a bit skeptical driving there but the interior was neat and the food was good. I would go again if I'm in the area. read more

The Chowder Barge - New England Clam Chowder in bread bowl and Grilled Swordfish with a lemon caper sauce. ~$30 w/out Tip - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

I thought this place was good. Not excellent but it was good. Maybe I just didn't order the right thing. I had the clam chowder with the fried clam Strips on top. The chowder itself was tasty but the friend clams was too much. They got soggy really quickly and I like my fried things crispy so it just turned into a pile of mush. Maybe I'll order the clams on the side next time. read more

I love this place! I love the food (yAll crazy if you don't) and no it's not some LA fancy-schmancy fusion or anything like that but it's good American diner food. It's affordable and I love the ambience. Also if you look around there's a lot of DecoR and it's pretty busy but that place is very clean. NO DUST. The people there are very sweet. Going there tonight. read more

Super hidden gem my new chowder spot it's very good!! The service however needs more improvement I know it's been tough opening up after Covid shut down but service is everything! My friends have suggested doing take out vs done in. I'll try that next time l. read more

Had heard about this place a number of times and finally go around to trying it. I ordered the rev burger. It is a burget with chowder on it. smehow they managed to make the burger into not being a hot mess. The food was very good and the service was excellent. The place was a challenge to find but it was definitely worth it. I recommend this place. read more

The Chowder Barge is in a hard-to-find location - in a small marina in an industrial part of Wilmington. But if you can find it, it is worth the trip. The name says it all - it is a barge, and they definitely have chowder. The chowder can be served plain, in a bread bowl or even with fried clams or a burger in it. The chowder is quite good. The location is part of the experience - I've been to restaurants on piers, and waterfront cafes, but I doubt many restaurants have the atmosphere of floating in a marina, with harbor freight trains in the background. And the decor is perfectly nautical and eclectic. I had the "double clam" chowder, which comes with the aforementioned fried clams. The chowder was good, and the chowder with fried clams was a unique and tasty combination. read more

This place is awesome! Complete dive bar that serves the coldest beer with the best chowder, fish and chips, shrimp! It's incredible. Friendly staff and just pure comfort food. Highly recommend. You can see they have frequent locals that sit at the bar in here and enjoy the company of the friendly staff and filing their belly's with the great food. read more

Open during COVID, the owner changed a while back. New beer, wine, and updated menu. The sword fish salad is THE bomb. The owner works hard to make it a cool cool place. Looking forward to post COVID dining. read more

I live in the San Fernando Valley and let me tell you, I will drive all the way over here for their clam chowder and fish and chips! I've never had clam chowder like The Chowder Barge's... it's the best I've ever had and their coleslaw has just the right amount of taste that will make coleslaw haters love it. I'm coming back for more!!! read more

The Chowder Barge - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

I love this place. It doesn't get any more nautical than the Chowder Barge. The food is great and the Staff are friendly.

best fish and chips in Southern California Really delicious clam chowder in a bread bowl or not Friendly low key service Not fancy - my kind of place read more

A true gem in the often overlooked Leeward Bay Marina. The Chowder Barge is a floating restaurant with a heavy vintage nautical theme and lovely views of the marina. Their menu includes a lot of fried seafood, and of course, chowder. However, I highly recommend coming here just for drinks and snacks. They do not have a liquor license, but serve beer and wine. Servers are very friendly and attentive. I came here with two friends last week and had a wonderful time relaxing on the patio enjoying $10 pitchers of beer and snacks. Their fries are delicious-thick cut steak fries served with a variety of sauces. The ambiance is so charming and unique that you will want to stay here forever. The Chowder Barge won my heart and is now one of my favorite restaurants in LA. I fully intend on having my birthday party here next year, if they allow me to do so. read more

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